Urosaurus graciosus
Hallowell, 1854
yoo-roe-SAW-rus — grass-ee-OH-sus
SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
Haenel (2017, Molecular Ecology 26: 606–623) documented introgression of U. ornatus mtDNA into some sympatric populations of U. graciosus.
(de Queiroz, Kevin and Lauren M. Chan. 2025. Squamata (excluding snakes) – Lizards. Pages 23-37 in Kirsten E. Nicholson (Editor), Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding, 9th Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Lawrence, Kansas. 87 pp.)
Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.04.10.13.42.07)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 1.01 MB
Taxonomic Etymology:
Named for its graceful form.
Urosaurus — From Greek oura (οὐρά), “tail,” and sauros (σαῦρος), “lizard.” The name means “tailed lizard,” highlighting the often long tails of members of this genus.
graciosus — From Latin graciosus, “graceful,” “elegant,” or “slender.” Refers to the species’ refined proportions and delicate build.
First instance(s) of published English names:
Slender Lizard (Uta graciosa: Cooper, James G. 1869. The fauna of California and its geographical distribution. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 4():61-81); Graceful Uta (Uta graciosa: Yarrow, Henry C. 1882. Check list of North American Reptilia and Batrachia with catalogue of specimens in U. S. National Museum. Bulletin of the United States National Museum (24):1-249); Long-tailed Uta (Uta graciosa: Van Denburgh, John. 1897. The reptiles of the Pacific Coast and Great Basin: An account of the species known to inhabit California, and Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 5():9-236); Long-tailed Uta (Uta (Urosaurus) graciosa: Van Denburgh, John. 1922. The Reptiles of Western North America: An Account of the Species Known to Inhabit California and Oregon, Washinton, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, British Columbia, Sonora, and Lower California. Volume I. Lizards. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco. 556pp.);
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
The Reptile Database
GenBank
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database
Selected References:
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1854
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Hallowell, Edward. Descriptions of new reptiles from California. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 7:91–97
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1988
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Vitt, Laurie J. and Dickson, Nancy A. Urosaurus graciosus Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (448):1-3
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1993
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Wiens, John J. Phylogenetic systematics of the tree lizards (Genus Urosaurus). Herpetologica 49(4):399-420
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2013
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Lambert, Shea M. and John J. Wiens. Evolution of viviparity: A phylogenetic test of the cold-climate hypothesis in Phrynosomatid lizards. Evolution 67(9):2614–2630
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2017
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Bezy, Robert L., Philip C. Rosen, Thomas R. Van Devender, and Erik F. Enderson. Southern distributional limits of the Sonoran Desert herpetofauna
along the mainland coast of northwestern Mexico Mesoamerican Herpetology 4(1):138-167
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